Don't You Cry
by Namikazes
Summary: Jiraiya watched him grow into the splendid man he was today, and was proud and worried of everything he did. He has his own reason behind it, and it's something that has been kept hidden. "A man should never been seen when he cries" he said. But its okay to cry, you know.


"A man should never been seen when he cries." Jiraiya said, holding his index finger towards the boy's face. There's nothing wrong with a man showing his feelings, but he wants to make a strong impression on this boy, "So, if you ever start to cry, don't let anyone see you Minato." Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, his tone flat and serious. The boy sighed and tilted his head, not understanding why he was being told this.

"What?" Minato raised a brow, giving his teacher a tired look. Honestly, he doesn't understand where this is coming from. "Jiraiya- sensei, what are you-"

"Never mind." The man pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He just hopes the boy remembers this. He has come to notice his student's attics can be a bit… _lacking_ the manly touch. Poor man's pride for his student took a pin to it, so he wants to help give Minato a manlier image. The reaction and response he got, it may not be working.

"Jiraiya- sensei," Minato cut into his thoughts, making him look up, "I know what you're trying to do." He smiled.

Jiraiya blinked, "You do?" A nod was received, "Minato, it's not that I don't think you're manly! It's just that-"

"Wait, what?" Minato squinted his eyes and leaned towards the man. What was he going on about? Jiraiya blankly stood there, now catching on that Minato had not yet said anything regarding it. And there he was, going on about his man- less looks and not.

"What?" His eyes darted around, trying to see if he can make Minato look somewhere else. But this kid was smart, and Jiraiya knows he knew something. Minato sighed and jumped off the railing and started walking away.

"Mikoto and I made arrangements to spar together. She's bringing a friend, so.." He rubbed the back of his neck, "Is it alright if I go? I don't really want to keep them waiting much longer if they're already there."

"Yeah whatever, you go." Jiraiya flailed his hand at him, waving him off as he turned around to pick up his bag from the ground next to him. "I want to talk to you later, Minato. So be sure to—ah!" Turning around again, he found his student already gone. "That _little_-!" He groaned, "What's with this speed of his? Kind of annoying at times.." Leaning against the railing and resting his chin in his hand, he continued to grumble to himself until someone caught his eye.

_Tsunade.._

Jiraiya straightened his back and quickly kneeled down and watched her. Such a beauty, even covered in mud and gravel. She looked frustrated, but it fit to its finest on her. His onyx eyes watched her stomp into the ground and tightly cross her arms over her chest. Her nose went in the air stubbornly, as if she's mentally debating with herself on something. He chuckled, watching her resume her marching with both her fist clutched at her sides stiffly. Was she perhaps looking for someone?

Welp! Whoever it is, they must be in trouble. Once she was at a reasonable distance, he stood back up and threw his bag over his shoulder and hopped on the railing, placing a hand over his eyes to shade the setting sun from his eyes. _Where'd that squirt go? _ Sighing, he jumped down and landed with his knees bent.

"Might as well go lookin' for ya, huh..?" Turning on his heel, he came face to face—or, face to fist with familiar woman, "Wha-?" To his surprise, there wasn't must strength into the blow, it only caused him to stumble. "T- Tsunade? Why-"

"_Idiot!_" She hissed before marching off, leaving him blinking.

"Women.." He huffed, rubbing the side of his face as he headed for the training grounds, a place where he will most likely find the squirt and the other brats. Upon arriving at the said grounds, not even a few steps onwards was he almost hit with a few shuriken. "Genins." He huffed, ducking under a few branches before jumping to the tree tops. He stopped suddenly, seeing Minato in the heat of a clashing with a girl. _Kushina, was it? Recently, she's been coming around a lot._ "Hmm.."

His eyes followed carefully as they went at it. There were a few times that Kushina's upper kicks almost nailed Minato, but Jiraiya has more confidence towards his best student. He won't get thrown down by a mere _girl_. The grin dropped from the man's features instantly as the blonde boy was hit to the ground and held down by kunai point.

"Got'cha Namikaze." Kushina smiled, holding her kunai just above the boys neck. "I admit, you're pretty good. But I-" _Poof. _Kushina grit her teeth and stood back to her feet, getting in a stance.

"Shadow clone.." Jiraiya hummed, shifting to a crossed legged position. That was slick thinking, but not unoriginal. But it still fooled her there for the moment. A second later, Minato was slight ways behind the girl, gripping his own kunai in front of her.

"Nice try." Minato said, laughing when Kushina turned around and shoved him. And as Jiraiya watched the two youngsters, he can tell it was the beginning on a good relationship. Whether they know it or not, there's some kind of connection between them.

"Kid, you're really growin' up." Jiraiya smiled, his damaged pride from earlier repairing instantly. He decided to leave them be and take his leave. Standing back to his feet and turning his back to them, he left in a puff of smoke.

* * *

"Hm?" Jiraiya raised a skeptical eyebrow, "What are you going on about?"

"Don't give me that stupid look, Jiraiya." Tsunade glared, pointing a finger at him as a warning, "I said I want to help." Jiraiya hummed and set his shot down, giving her a look. He understands if she would like to help, even indirectly, but where is this coming from?

"Where was this _want_ his whole life?" Jiraiya asked, feeling a little offensive at this. "When you got preg-"

"I did what I could, okay?!" Tsunade snapped, smashing her glassed bottle on the counter top, "At the time—I did my part." Her voice lowered in volume an tone as she diverted her eyes to her lap, "I want to help now. Even if he doesn't know that we-"

"Alright." Jiraiya stood from his seat, placing his part of the bill on the table, "We'll have it your way, Tsunade." He smiled, "Thank you." _For his sake._

* * *

Jiraiya silently scanned the faces of the few people wondering about at this hour, looking for a certain blonde man and his team. He knows very well they should have made it back by now from their mission, so where is he? He saw two of the man's students, and he can tell something was up by the angst looks on their faces. Not only that, but the Hatake boy seemed to have taken some beating, and the Rin girl also looked like she was in some battle. The white haired toad- sage narrowed his eyes, feeling his heart stop for the moment. Where's Minato..?

He watched the two young teens walk by, catching the pain leaking in their expressions. Jiraiya was now worried, but he won't show it. Turning around, he jumped back in surprise upon seeing the questioned blonde man standing there, a blank look adoring his features.

"Minato-?" Jiraiya let out a meaningful breath of relief, feeling his heart rate pick up. He was alright, not that he doubted his former student's skill though. "What happen? Your kids looked a bit-"

"Ah, yeah." Minato frowned deeply, reaching a hand up to rub the back of his neck, "Things got messy out there, and unfortunately.. Obito didn't make it out." Jiraiya watched the man's face fall deeper with a frown himself. Setting a hand on each of Minato's shoulders, he gave him a reassuring shake and a pat, not quite finding the words to say at the minute. But Minato knew of his intentions and gave a smile, "I'm gonna go find Kakashi and Rin." He said, gently removing the hands off of him before making his way pass.

"Poor kid." Jiraiya frowned, adjusting the scroll on his back before continuing on his way. He knows how heartbroken Minato must be; losing one of his students. Does he blame himself for it? He has no reason to if he does. Jiraiya knows very well how strong that young man is, fore he did watch him grow into the man he is today. No doubt he will be Hokage on this track, but.. With how Minato is, there is a chance he is pressing the blame on himself and feels guilty. He doesn't want that for him..

Not far ahead of him was Tsunade, wearing an expression close to his. She was looking at him, but wasn't moving. She looked confused and heartbroken, and at loss of words.

"I just talked to him." Tsunade said once Jiraiya stopped in front of her, "He told me, but still I couldn't-" Her sentence stopped when a large hand was set atop her head, making her look up to the towering man.

"There's still time to talk to him." Jiraiya knows how she feels somewhat, seeing how he couldn't find the words either. No one knows how they feel at the moment, seeing the young man silently bashing himself up while they feel almost useless on helping. After many moments of just standing there in the fading crowd, Tsunade seemed to have composed herself enough to whack his hand off. And without uttering a word, she turned and left. Once again, Jiraiya adjusted the scroll on his back and sighed. As he walked, he looked to the sky, thinking of the future has in hold for that boy. Looking over his shoulder to the said blonde in the distance, he had no doubt it'll be a happy one. He slowed down in his steps, taking in the scene of Minato hugging his students and wife in one.

Indeed, with that woman by his side it'll be a happy, but tough one. Fore Minato is the sun, but that woman holds a tornado within, even behind that cheerful smile of hers. But there's still no doubt about it. That woman, Jiraiya knows very well brings out sides of Minato that only _she_ can see.

Minato means a lot to him; he raised him technically. Watching him grow was unnoticed until he reached the level jounin. Only then, did Jiraiya notice how hard he was watching him. Too hard, that he kept the image of that small boy in front of his eyes for too long, that by the time he finally blinked, that boy was already a man. He eventually learned to blink his eyes every once in a while just to see the development. When he was asked to have his Godson named after the character in his book- he didn't know what to say. Seeing the look adoring both their faces and swollen abdomen Kushina carried made his heart feel warm stomach flutter in silent joy.

But, it was the night he came across something dreadful. The stench of blood stung his nose and blurred his vision, but he kept taking those limp steps towards the forms that lay in the gravel ahead. There was a child, the one born from their love and passion, but the new born was alone and sound asleep. Similar to the two lying at his feet, he was silent and unmoving. He dropped down to a kneel in front of the one he knows as his former pupil and swallowed a lump. His limp arms were wrapped around his wife, and his hands were clasped over hers, both covering the gapping whole just below their rips.

He wasn't there.. If he was here, he could have-! "Minato.." Leaning down, he set his hand in the man's hair and ruffled it, much like he use too many years prior in his childhood, when things weren't gone like they are now. On his relaxed face held a smile, a sad one. The small movement from the corner of his eye alerted him, making him snap his head in the direction of the child. Their child is alright? He felt relieved, seeing the baby moving and breathing. He understood why Minato sent him the seal, of course. But- "I'm sorry." He whispered, leaning down and wrapping his arms around the man's neck as salty tears slowly streamed down his cheeks.

From Minato, a single tear slipped from his closed eye and down his cool skin as Jiraiys mumbled his apologies and grief's.

"'A man should never be seen when he cries'.." What was he thinking back then? The only thing that was on his mind was Minato's image, and that's what got in the way. "It's okay to cry, you know.." He mumbled, not expecting an answer in return.

_My son. _


End file.
